Rubicon Project

Was one of the largest independent SSPs globally before merging with Telaria to form Magnite in 2020

Rubicon Project was founded in 2007 in Los Angeles, California, and grew to become one of the largest and most influential independent programmatic advertising technology companies in the world. The company built and operated a leading sell-side platform (SSP) that enabled digital publishers to automate the selling of their advertising inventory across display, video, mobile, and audio formats. At its peak, Rubicon Project's platform processed billions of ad transactions daily, connecting thousands of publishers with hundreds of demand-side platforms and ad networks through real-time bidding (RTB) and programmatic direct channels. Rubicon Project went public on the New York Stock Exchange in 2014 under the ticker RUBI, marking a significant milestone for the programmatic advertising industry. The company was a vocal advocate for header bidding technology, which democratized publisher monetization by allowing multiple demand sources to compete simultaneously for inventory. Despite facing revenue headwinds from industry shifts — including the rise of header bidding commoditizing SSP margins and increased competition from Google and Amazon — Rubicon Project remained a critical infrastructure provider for independent publishers seeking alternatives to walled garden ecosystems. On April 1, 2020, Rubicon Project completed a merger of equals with Telaria, a leading CTV and video SSP, to form Magnite (NASDAQ: MGNI). Both predecessor brands were retired as part of the transaction. Rubicon Project's technology and publisher relationships became the foundation of Magnite's DV+ product line, which serves display, video, and audio inventory outside of connected television. The merger created the largest independent sell-side platform in the industry, combining Rubicon Project's scale in display and mobile with Telaria's strength in CTV and streaming video.